good table 1 picks. first wojciech vs sanjin then filler vs shaw
European Open 2025, Sarajevo, March 11-16
- Thread starter Bob Jewett
- Start date
1) Should Matchroom feature the players that stick with WNT in Hanoi? Yes.
2) Has Filler played anyone we wanted to see on the TV table? No.
3) Is MR purposely snubbing Filler to try to create some drama? Probably. I’ve listened enough to Frazer to know that girl loves drama.
I’d be shocked if Shaw-Filler doesn’t get the tv table. In fact, I just checked. Table 1 with commentators.
Shaw wasn’t happy with the people who skipped Hanoi and made it clear publicly. He and Joshua used to get on good. They probably still do, but who knows.
The announcers by the way have spoken a lot about plenty of the players who skipped Hanoi. Albin, Mario, Max.
Anybody think the lack of free streaming influences the observer principle?
Every one of Pehlivanovic's matches has been on Table 1. That's not good. (Yeah, I know; he's a local.)
Yeah, the stream choices have been very strange to this point, but beginning on Day 5, they'll have no choice but to get it right because there will be so few matches.
Sanjin is a fine player, 36th best in the world based on Fargo, but I don't think he's a contender for the title. I've met him and I like him, and I'll be delighted if I'm wrong.
Oddly enough, the announcers seem to know nothing about Sanjin, other than that he is from Bosnia. When they refer to a shot of his at 7-6 in the round of 32 as "the biggest shot of his life," it shows they think he's never been in a big spot before. In fact, he was silver medalist at the 2023 World 8ball and silver medalist at the 2022 World Games, so he has played in the final of two very prestigious events.
not ideal. gives sanjin table advantage. sure he's local but if he's that popular his fans can go to the event..
would make sense to show duong quoc hoang vs neuhausen since 13:00 in europe is primetime in vietnam
They announcers seem to be committed to giving Sanjin more credit than he has earned, too. In his pre-match comments, Jeremy Jones just suggested this match is about even on paper. Yes, Szewczyk is no Filler but he has won the World 10ball and was bronze medalist at the 2024 World 9ball. He is an elite player with a much stronger resume than Sanjin.
The systemic diss of the World 10ball championship is nothing new for Matchroom. In the post-match interview after his double hill loss to Gorst at the 2024 World 9ball, the arena announcer offered to Kaci that he would win a world championship somewhere down the road. Kaci, a two-time World 10ball champion, took offense, commenting "I am a World Champion." While I concur with Matchroom that a World 9ball title carries more prestige than the World 10ball, they need to understand that only very special players can win the World 10ball.
Sanjin has a chance to write a great story this weekend, but he is a longshot. He'll have to beat Szewczyk and then either Filler or Shaw to reach the semis. Not very likely in the eyes of this fan, but I wish him the best.
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pretty much shut out by wojciech. it seems duong quoc hoang is doing the same with neuhausen
I really thought Duong vs Neuhausen might be the best match of the round. apparently not.
He's my pick to win. The upcoming match of Filler v. Shaw is going to be epic. I can't wait.
Make that 6-3.
maciol beat big ko
wojciech beat sanjin
and hoang beat neuhausen
wojciech beat sanjin
and hoang beat neuhausen
Maciol is a tough out these days. Like Szewczyk, he is another guy whose biggest title came in 10ball (he won the $100,000 first prize at the Qatar 10ball in December 2024). Nice player who is pretty darn good at 9ball, too.
Szewczyk's win over Pehlivanovic was expected, but Sanjin had a solid week and should be proud of his play.
Well done by Duong. I thought this one would be close, given Neuhausen's growing pedigree, but Duong won very convincingly.
Labutis just beat Yapp. Nobody who watched him dethrone Filler in the Derby City 10ball final can be too surprised by this result, but it's a good win over a tough opponent.
In truth, Matchroom wins no matter how things develop. They've put on a first-rate production and have drawn an elite field.
They've hit the ground running in Sarajevo and have had a chance to showcase so many of the world's greatest players. In the end, there are no Matchroom or WPA players, just pool players, and Matchroom has produced an event that has brought most of the truly elite pool players together.
In short, if the rest of the 2025 Matchroom majors draw the kind of field we've seen in Sarajevo, we fans are in for a treat this year.
Thanks, Matchroom, for a wonderful event.